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How to live life to the fullest and benefit from all of stages of life
“New year, new me!” This is the sentence we all hear coming from every corner once the year starts. We all want to become the better versions of ourselves, to turn the next year into an adventure.
But most of the time, all we notice is that our lives are growing duller, and we seem to be going down rather than up. So how do we live life to the fullest and enjoy all four stages of life?
The answer is variety. When you wondering how to live your life to the fullest you don’t just have to think of one way to improve your life. If you feel as if you have reached a standstill, try changing more things in your life. Add some spice.
Take a break from ordinary activities and do something for your life. You don’t want to reach your old days, thinking “I wish I did that.” Do it now to spare the regrets! Here are some ways to make your life a lot better this year and live your life to the fullest.
Equipping yourself with a few enjoyable habits can make every stage of life youthful and smooth. Especially as a millennial person, so well known for delaying the commited aspect of life, you can make the third phase less scary.
1. Watch the sunrise
We know, this isn’t what you may have been expecting when you read the word “fascinating” – but our bodies sure agree to it. Have you noticed how dull you feel the entire day, when you wake up with the sun already up, leaving you in a complete hurry to get to your workplace and – once more – go forward with your dull day? Not to mention the stress that the day brings about.
Even if you aren’t a morning person, try to be one and watch the sunrise. Brew some coffee, go on the balcony, terrace, or whatever place brings you a good view, and watch how a new day begins. Not only is the beauty of it enough to brighten your whole day, but it will also make you start the morning like every human should and make you feel more productive in your tasks.
2. Quit the jobs you hate
Life is short, so why should you be torturing yourself by doing something you hate? Say you graduated with a major in biology, dislike working with kids and have a curious mind. Still, you decided to become a teacher since it seemed like less of a hassle at the time – only you realized it’s more of a struggle than it’s worth. You wish you went for a career in research, where you would continue to learn fascinating things.
Well, what are you waiting for? Sure, it’s risky, and it may take a while to reach success, and you may curse your days when you see your wallet. What do you want to be – broke and happy, or rich and miserable?
3. Get out of your comfort zone
Meet new people. Go to new places. Having a better life doesn’t mean that you only have to improve your current social life – you need to expand it. Sure, it’s crucial to groom your relationship with your close friends, but that doesn’t mean you have to say no to new people. Every person comes with new knowledge, a new adventure. Who knows, maybe that person that has been trying to understand you is someone that will rock your world. Many opportunities for an infinitely better life may come from you simply shaking hands with a new person.
4. Be kind to random people
By performing random kindness acts to people, you’ll not only bring about a positive outlook on your life, but you’ll be lifting their moods as well. Hold the door for someone at your job, treat someone to cake, send a random thank you e-mail or simply give some spare change to a homeless person. It won’t only make you feel good throughout the entire day, but it will extend to the other people as well. Studies have shown that helping others significantly increase your own happiness!
5. Get a gym membership
Going to the gym may seem like a drag that you associate with sessions of torture, but you will be thanking yourself later on. Not only will regular exercising make you look like the Greek god you always wished to be, but it will also improve your productivity by increasing your stamina.
Long story short, you will not get tired as easily, and you can get more things done without feeling like you’ve reached a new level of hell. Plus, this will also improve your immune system, and you will no longer feel weak.
If going to the public gym is not your thing, you can make your own training zone at home. Websites such as garagegymplanner.com could help you choose what equipment you should get.
6. Start saving money
Wouldn’t it be better if you drove a car to work every day instead of taking the overly-crowded bus? Sure, there are still traffic jams to keep in mind…but you will at least be sitting in your own space, maybe sipping a coffee without a bunch of other people breathing down your neck.
Saving some money can help you achieve that. Instead of blasting it on stuff you don’t actually need, start a savings account. Eventually, you will save up enough money to buy whatever you want, such as a decent car that will get you from point A to point B.
7. Travel more
The world is big, full of fascinating stuff that you need to see. We’re not trees, so we don’t need to have our roots stuck in the same place for our entire life. Seeing these places on TV won’t compare with the feeling you get by going there yourself. Once you start seeing what the world has to offer, you won’t get enough and will continuously want to learn about different cultures.
Go to places that don’t share your customs or even language. Dare to do something different. Make memories. What you’ll learn this year by traveling will definitely be something to tell your children when you’re old and gray.
8. Learn how to cook
As a man, you probably think that cooking shouldn’t be in your area of expertise; however, knowing the basics of cooking will save you a lot of time, money, as well as indigestion caused by bad food. Plus, if there’s anything that ladies love to see in a man, it’s the ability to cook. Surprise them with a romantic dinner and homemade pasta, and they’ll be yours forever.
8. Pick up dancing
This one is another thing that men probably don’t associate with themselves, and here’s where they are wrong. Even if you aren’t the king of the dancing ring, learning a few dance moves won’t hurt. It will improve your balance, increase your stamina and boost your self-esteem. Plus, just like with the cooking part, many women find this characteristic extremely sexy – so by showing off your tango skills, you might actually be getting yourself a girlfriend this year.
You should never be afraid to go out of your comfort zone. These exact ways to do so may turn your life around for the better so that you’ll have the best year of your life. Why be miserable? Strive to change your ways: read a book, learn the waltz, or try lifting some weights. No matter how simple it may look, it will definitely be worth it in the long run.
Source: get-a-wingman.com
Walk into any supermarket in Accra, Kumasi, or Tamale today, and you will see the modern Ghanaian diet packaged as ‘progress.’ You will see breakfast cereals with cartoon mascots, fruit drinks that are mostly sugar and colour, and snacks promising energy and happiness in bright fonts.
Even products loaded with salt and unhealthy fats often wear a health halo labeled as fortified or natural, while the real nutritional risk is hidden in tiny print on the back. This is not just a consumer inconvenience; it is a public health blind spot. Ghana is living through a silent surge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, and stroke.
These conditions quietly drain household income and steal productive years. According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, NCDs are now responsible for nearly 45 per cent of all deaths in Ghana.
We cannot build a healthy nation on a food environment designed to confuse people at the point of purchase. Ghana must mandate simple front-of-pack warning labels (FOPWL) on high-sugar, high-salt, and high-fat packaged foods because consumers deserve truth at a glance, and industry must be pushed to reformulate.
Why Back-of-Pack Labels Are Not Enough
In theory, consumers can read nutrition panels. In reality, most Ghanaians shop under pressure, limited time, rising prices, and children tugging at their sleeves. The back label is a relic that requires a high cognitive load to interpret—essentially, the seller knows what is inside, but the buyer cannot easily tell.
This ‘information asymmetry’ is not fair. It is not consumer choice when the information needed to choose well is deliberately difficult to find.
Simple warning labels like the black octagons used in the Chilean Model act as a ‘stop-and-think’ nudge. They do not ban products but they simply tell the truth so people can decide.
Reshaping Our Food Environment
A generation ago, Ghana’s meals were mostly home-prepared, like kenkey and banku with soups and stews. Today, ultra-processed foods have become the norm, especially in urban areas. Children are growing up with sugary drinks and salty snacks as everyday items, not occasional treats.
If Ghana is serious about prevention, we must act where decisions are made—thus, the shelf. Warning labels protect parents from sugar traps and pressure the market to improve. When warning labels are mandatory, manufacturers start to compete to make healthier recipes to avoid the stigma of the label.
Addressing the Pushback
Industry will argue that labels create fear or that education alone is enough. However, health education is slow; labels work immediately. While the informal street food sector is a challenge, regulating pre-packaged goods is the practical starting point because the supply chain is traceable. We cannot wait until the whole system is perfect; we must start where action is feasible.
A 2026 Implementation Roadmap for Ghana
To move from talk to action, Ghana needs this 5-step plan:
- Issue mandatory regulation: The Ministry of Health, Food and Drug Authority (FDA), and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) must define the label format and nutrient thresholds for all pre-packaged foods.
- Simple, bold symbols: Use plain language and clear symbols, such as “HIGH IN SUGAR,” designed for busy families, not experts.
- Transparent thresholds: Adopt technically defensible standards adapted to the Ghanaian diet.
- Transition and enforce: Provide a 12–18 month period for manufacturers to reformulate, followed by firm enforcement at ports and retail centers.
- National literacy campaign: The Ghana Health Service must pair labels with public messages explaining why high salt or sugar increases disease risk.
Conclusion: Truth Is Not a Luxury
Prevention is cheaper than treatment. A warning label costs little compared to the price of dialysis, stroke rehabilitation, or lifelong diabetes complications. A black octagon on a box of biscuits is more than a label; it is a shield for the health of all Ghanaians. It is time to put the truth where we can see it, right on the front.
By Abigail Amoah Sarfo
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Natives of the Kenkey Kingdom were mad with joy. They were still recovering from the hangover of the kingdom’s loss of the African Cup when their spirits were rekindled. Their great warrior, Zoom Zoom, stormed Melbourne and made sure that every Australian refused food. And that was after he had drawn contour lines on the face of their idol, Jeff Fenech.
Not only did the terrible warrior transform Old Boy Jeff’s face into a contour map useful for geography lessons, but he also accomplished the feat of retaining the much-envied super-kenkeyweight title against all odds. The warrior had not been eating hot kenkey for nothing.
The Fight Against Fenech
When Jeff Fenech bit the dust in the eighth round, I was tempted to consider if Adanko Deka could not have faced him in any twelve-rounder, title or non-title bout. Adanko has improved tremendously, and soon he would be facing Pernell Whitaker.
Sincerely, I was pessimistic about Azumah’s man, who the last time took him through twelve grueling rounds of rough boxing. I expressed my fears to my colleague Christian Abbew, alias Gbonyo, who surprisingly had total confidence that the Australian brawler would fall, predictably in Round Five.
Gbonyo gave reasons for his contention, all of which I counteracted using the age factor. Fact is, I didn’t know that contrary to the laws of nature, Azumah was all the time growing younger.
When Fenech fell briefly in round one, I asked my brother whether it was the same Fenech that fought Azumah in Las Vegas. Sure, it was the same Fenech, all out to beat Azumah before his countrymen.
But the African Professor had no intention of making the Australian a hero. As he spun round the desperate Aussie, dancing and stinging out his jabs, it was not too long before I realized that the end was near.
The Eighth Round Showdown
Two minutes into the eighth round, the African ring-master proved to the whole world that he was a true son of Bukom. He himself was cornered, but like the tough nut he is, he managed to break free before overwhelming the panting Australian with several blows that made him crash headlong.
Moments after, the referee, expressing fatherly sympathy, stopped the fight to prevent an obituary. After the ordeal, Fenech’s fairly handsome face was full of newly constructed hills, valleys, ox-bow lakes—whatever. I noticed that his nose was very tired and had a miniature volcano sitting restlessly on it. Obviously, Jeff’s wife will have to nurse that nose back to its normal shape—but I’d advise her not to use iodine, otherwise her dear husband will wail like a banshee.
Reflections on Boxing
Because Mohammed Ali was the kind of boxer kids liked, many school-going kids often entertained the wish of becoming like him. I remember one day when I told my father I wanted to become a boxer, and he advised me to first complete my education to the highest level. Then, if I decided to become a boxer and was knocked out a couple of times, I’d fall back on my degrees and make a living.
Boxing used to be interesting when bouts were fought more with the mouth and tongue than with gloves. You had to brag well, psychologically belittling your opponent before beating him up physically. Mohammed Ali became a very successful pugilist because he also managed to become a poet. He often blew his horn across America, calling himself the “pretty boxer” and opponents like Joe Frazier “the gorilla.”
Ali made a living fighting hard fists like Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Jerry Quarry, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, and Trevor Berbick. Twice he came back from retirement to fight just for money. It was Larry Holmes who finally pensioned him, and since then the great Ali has never been himself.
The Path Ahead for Azumah
When Azumah nailed Jeff Fenech on the cross and barked almost immediately that he was after the head of Pernell Whitaker, I was happy but concerned. I would have been happier if he had announced his resignation there and then—he would have been more of a hero. Beating Fenech in Australia is more newsworthy than facing Whitaker in the States.
With Whitaker, it might be a little difficult. The “Sweet Pea” is agile, has a crooked body like a snake with diarrhea, and stands awkwardly as a southpaw. He is known for having the fastest pair of fists and the rare ability to dodge punches no matter how close they may be.
Much as I do not doubt that Azumah can take his title, I also don’t want him to retire beaten. I want him to retire as a hero and live a fuller, healthy life.
As Azumah himself said after dishing Fenech, he is now a professor and has something to show for it. Like a true professor, I think it is time he resigned and took up training young talents who could draw inspiration from him and become like him in the future.
Closing Thoughts
I must say that although ageing boxers like Larry Holmes and George Foreman are making a name for themselves, boxing is not like the Civil Service, where you can even change your age and retire at 74. Zoom Zoom has delighted the hearts of the natives, and Sikaman will forever hold him in high esteem—but only when he retires as a hero.
This article was first published on Saturday, March 7, 1992.
